Description of my FAC Courses

Dear Student,

The purpose of my courses at FAC is to teach thorough comprehension of selected reading materials. This should improve your English, develop your logical analysis skills, and enhance your understanding of Western society and culture (which most of the readings reflect).

If your objective is to learn, you will benefit much more if you read and try to understand the materials before class, and prepare any questions to ask me in class. You will also learn more if you resolve to participate in class, rather than listening passively. This will also make it more interesting for you and for me. If you are shy, then face the fact that shyness will harm your future -- and fight to overcome your problem!

The selected readings are interesting and well-written, typically drawn from high-quality news and information sources like the New York Times. I also target readings that reflect ideas and controversies in American society, or that develop your understanding of the most potent threat to freedom, democracy and other fundamental American values: unbridled corporate power and the way it corrupts politics, news reporting, and (via the entertainment media) the culture at large. This worsening problem is probably best appreciated and most often criticized by commentators within the U.S. itself, but it seems only radical solutions could address the problem, and none is under serious consideration.

Most of our readings have a precise and unique meaning. There is only one way to interpret them correctly. In this they differ from, for example, some kinds of literary and artistic writing. My intention is that you fully grasp the exact meaning after we have discussed material in class.

If you notice that I've made an error, I will be pleased and impressed if you speak up in class and draw my attention to it. (I will still be pleased even if you were wrong to think I was wrong and it's actually your error, not mine. So you should speak up even if you're not sure.)

To understand the readings, you will have to understand what analogies and metaphors are. You should know that the use of the words but, whereas, although, despite, indicates some kind of clash -- opposing ideas, or a reversal of expectations -- and you should always understand what this clash is. Sometimes sentences are a bit complicated syntactically. You should know how to break down and simplify them to make them more easily understood. For example, an article by William Safire has:

To fabricate an alibi for his nonfeasance, and to cover up his department's embarrassing cut of the counterterrorism budget last year, Attorney General John Ashcroft -- working with his hand-picked aide, F.B.I. Director "J. Edgar" Mueller III -- has gutted guidelines put in place a generation ago to prevent the abuse of police power by the federal government.

This is basically:

Attorney General John Ashcroft has gutted guidelines put in place a generation ago.

The other phrases add additional information:

• To fabricate an alibi for his nonfeasance: the reason he gutted the guidelines.

• and to cover up his department's embarrassing cut of the counterterrorism budget last year: an additional reason he gutted them.

• working with his hand-picked aide, F.B.I. Director "J. Edgar" Mueller III: additional information (who he worked with in gutting the guidelines)

• to prevent the abuse of police power by the federal government: the reason the guidelines were put in place.

Grading will be based on comprehension tests. Possibly there will also be some writing assignments. Tests will be "open-book" -- you will be allowed to consult the reading materials as well as dictionaries.

Please do not hesitate to ask any questions you have about the above or anything else, either in class or via email.

Yours respectfully,

Uriel